Writers know that the main character’s change follows an arc. The plot has an arc of increasing tension toward the climax and then some resolution. How can a setting have an arc? Setting details are important, not lengthy chunks of detail, but enough interspersed so the reader has an image. The image also is relatable […]
What Did You Start Writing?
When you first started writing, what form did you use–short stories, poetry, memoir, or a novel? In middle school, I chose short stories and I still like to write them. Next I wrote a few novels, and then poetry. In the afternoon writing class I teach, we are writing a Haiku twice a month based […]
The First Page
A reader, editor, or agent often gives a first page three or four seconds before closing the book or tossing the submitted page onto the notorious slush pile. What do we have to squeeze into those few seconds? We have to grab the reader’s interest immediately, usually with writing something active not passive. Ground the […]
Writing Tips from Authors Cara Black, Laurie King, and Penny Warner
My previous post told about the three panelists at one of the San Francisco Writers Conference sessions I attended this year.The authors spoke about “Heroes & Villains: Building Compelling Characters for Crime Fiction.” The following are some notes I wrote from what each of them and the moderator, Kate Chynoweth, said. Penny Warner said she […]
Penny Sansevieri
Penny Sansevieri spoke at the San Francisco Writers Conference. I went to three of her sessions. She is the Founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., and a widely recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She is the author of fourteen books including How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon […]
Agents at the San Francisco Writers Conference February 12 to 16th
At the San Francisco Writers Conference on Saturday, February 14th, 8 a.m. to noon, is the Speed Dating with Agents: A Pitch-and-Learn Session. https://sfwriters.org/2015-sfwc-speakers/# Here is a list of the agents that will be at the conference. AGENTS: Margaret Bail, Inklings Literary Agency, FL Peter Beren, Peter Beren Agency, CA Regina Brooks, Serendipity […]
Story Idea-Welded-to-Emotion
My last post addressed story ideas and how to write down the ones that come to you before the idea disappears. This post will look at idea in more depth. In Catherine Brady’s book Story Logic and the Craft of Fiction, she states that a writer can discover the right plot for an idea. “But […]